


A Good Team

by LyriaBlackFrost



Series: Fic Requests [18]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24239857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Ryuji and Yusuke get separated from the group during a fight in Mementos, which leads to them having to make their way together to the next safe room.
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakamoto Ryuji
Series: Fic Requests [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1141385
Comments: 4
Kudos: 155





	A Good Team

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by an anon. Writing this made me realize how much I missed these two...
> 
> I hope you like it!

It took the group a minute too long to realize there was something different in Mementos that day.

Yusuke didn’t know if it was because of the storm in the real world, but the number of shadows was much bigger than usual, and their behavior, more aggressive. The change only became apparent a few floors deep into that maze, and when Futaba commented on it, a legion of shadows was already approaching them from all directions.

“There’s too many of them!” said Futaba, anxious. “I can’t find a safe way out!”

“We’ll have to fight our way out, then,” said Akira, reaching for his dagger. “Prepare yourselves.”

The others agreed, jumping out of Morgana, who changed back into his cat form. It didn’t take long for the shadows to approach them amid grunts, shrieks, and gargling noises. Akira gestured for the group to attack, and soon that place was filled with the sound of weapons meeting their targets, and voices invoking their personas and casting magic. At first, it didn’t seem like that battle would last long, but, no matter how many shadows they defeated, their numbers only seemed to grow.

“They won’t stop coming!” said Futaba in an urgent tone. “This is bad… We have to flee while we still can!”

But that was easier said than done, considering the number of shadows around them. Yusuke glanced at Ryuji, who clicked his tongue.

“Mona, get ready to get us outta here,” said Ryuji, moving away from the group. “I’ll try to distract them for you.”

“Got it!” answer Morgana.

“I’ll help you.”

Saying that, Yusuke followed Ryuji, avoiding the shadows that tried to reach them. They stood side by side, and readied their magic attacks, using them against as many shadows as they could reach. The wide reach weakened the power of the attack, but was enough to turn the attention of those shadows to them. Morgana used that chance to change into his car form.

“Everyone, get inside!” he yelled.

The group did as he said, until only Yusuke and Ryuji were still outside. However, those few seconds were enough for an entire horde of shadows to get between them and the rest of the group, making it impossible for them to reach Morgana.

“Skull!” yelled Akira. “Fox!”

The shadows kept attacking, while the two of them did what they could to defend themselves.

“Stay behind me!” asked Yusuke, taking a step forward.

Ryuji did as he said. Yusuke cast Bufula, creating an ice barrier between them and the creatures. He knew it wouldn’t last long, but he hoped it would be enough time for them to think of another solution. Morgana ran over some of those shadows with a loud noise, while Akira and Ann attacked the creatures from the open windows, with dark and fire magic. Again, it didn’t cause much damage, but was enough to grab the attention of the shadows.

“We’ll lure them out of here!” yelled Makoto from the driver’s seat. “You two get to the next safe room!”

“We’ll meet you there as soon as we can!” added Haru.

Before either of them could respond, they drove away, making most of those shadows go after them, leaving just a small group behind.

“Let’s run to the next floor,” said Yusuke. “There’s no point in fighting them.”

They ran past those shadows, avoiding their attacks. Without Morgana’s help, Mementos seemed like a much bigger place, and by the time they reached the escalators, they were already starting to get out of breath.

“Shit…” muttered Ryuji. “We still got another floor before the next safe room…”

“Let’s keep going, before more shadows appear,” answered Yusuke.

Ryuji nodded, and after taking no more than a moment to catch their breaths, they were running again, without looking back. They managed to cover a considerable distance before more shadows appeared before them. They stopped, looking around in search of a clear path, only to see more shadows coming from all sides.

“Seems like we’re surrounded again,” muttered Ryuji.

“We have no choice but to chose a path and force our way through,” answered Yusuke.

“Damn right,” Ryuji took a deep breath, raising his pipe. “Let’s do this, Fox!”

They charged forward, hitting those shadows with everything they had. With some effort, they managed to cut their way through that horde, getting back to running once again.

“I can see the escalator,” said Yusuke. “It’s just ahead of us!”

Ryuji opened his mouth, but his answer soon turned into a pained yelp. Yusuke looked at him, watching as his leg gave way, making him stumble forward, easing the fall with both hands.

“Fuck…” muttered Ryuji under his breath.

“Skull!”

Yusuke turned back, approaching Ryuji, who frantically gestured for him not to stop.

“Just keep going!” he yelled.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Yusuke raised his weapon, hitting a shadow that got close to Ryuji. Using the momentum from that strike, he slashed a second one, making it fall. That gave the first shadow enough time to recover from the attack, and Yusuke tried to hit it before it acted again. The shadow swiftly avoided his blade, hitting Yusuke’s hand with its claws, almost making him let go of his weapon. Before the shadow had the chance to strike again, Ryuji was back on his feet. He hit that shadow’s head with his pipe, making it fall back on the ground. The other creatures drew close, but before they had the chance to attack, Ryuji grabbed Yusuke by the wrist, pulling him along as he ran from those shadows.

“Come!”

Yusuke didn’t respond, focusing on accompanying Ryuji’s pace, now partially slowed down by his limping.

“Shit… They’ll reach us like this,” muttered Ryuji. “We gotta do somethin’ to stop them!”

Yusuke glanced at him, needing just a second to understand what he had in mind. Without stopping, Ryuji called Captain Kidd, using Deathbound against the shadows behind them. Yusuke mimicked him, calling Goemon, who attacked with Heat Wave. As expected, using that attack was like receiving a punch on his stomach, but was enough to stop the shadows for a few precious seconds. Yusuke placed his arm around Ryuji’s torso, helping him move until they finally reached the escalators to the next floor. _A safe room, finally…_

As soon as they reached the next floor, Yusuke’s legs gave in. He and Ryuji half sat, half fell on the floor side by side, breathing hastily.

“We made it…” sighed Ryuji. “Shit, we made it.”

Yusuke could only nod. His lungs seemed to burn, and the muscles of his legs throbbed from all the effort. That thought made him look at Ryuji, concerned.

“How is your leg?” he asked.

“It should get better in a minute.” Ryuji looked at him, a tiny smile appearing on his lips between deep breaths. “You really saved me back there…”

Yusuke shook his head.

“Don’t mention it… I’m just glad you are fine.” He once again placed his arm around Ryuji, helping him stand up. “Lean on me… I’ll help you walk to the bench.”

“Thanks.”

They made their way together to the bench, sitting side by side, taking off their masks. For a minute, they simply focused on recovering from their escape. As soon as Yusuke managed to breathe normally again, Ryuji turned to face him.

“That shadow hit you, didn’t it?” he asked. “Are you alright?”

“Yes… It’s nothing.”

Despite Yusuke’s answer, Ryuji reached for his hand, widening his eyes at the dark stain on his blue glove.

“You’re bleeding!”

“Don’t worry,” said Yusuke, “it’s not a deep cut.”

But Ryuji barely seemed to register his words, carefully taking Yusuke’s glove off, examining that wound: two parallel cuts, going from the lower end of his forearm to the back of his hand. Despite not seeming too deep, it was still bleeding considerably. Ryuji bit his lip, then reached for the red scarf on his neck, taking it out. Yusuke watched as he wrapped it around his wound, then held Yusuke’s hand between his, pressing it to stop the bleeding.

“This should help a little… At least until the others arrive.” He glanced at Yusuke. “Does it hurt?”

“Not much.”

But an involuntary, pained hiss betrayed his words as soon as Ryuji increased the pressure on that wound.

“Sorry,” said Ryuji. “It’s just until the bleeding stops.”

“I know,” answered Yusuke. “It’s alright.”

Ryuji looked at his face, concerned.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“No,” answered Yusuke. “And you?”

“Me neither.” A long, relieved sigh left Ryuji’s lips. “Damn, we were lucky…”

“Indeed,” agreed Yusuke. “If either of us was alone, we probably wouldn’t have made it.”

His words seemed to weight down on them, as the realization of how close they had been from dying sank in. Yusuke felt like he should say something to try and cheer Ryuji up, but nothing came to mind. He wasn’t good when it came to words, and much less when he wanted to comfort someone, for his own frustration.

“Yeah,” Ryuji broke the silence, “but we still gave those damn shadows a hard time.” He let out a brief chuckle. “The two of us make a good team, don’t you think?”

Yusuke simply observed him for a moment. Unlike him, Ryuji always seemed to know the right thing to say to lift everyone’s spirits.

“I suppose that’s true,” he said.

Ryuji offered him a smile, then shifted his attention back to his hand, carefully moving the fabric to check the wound.

“Looks a little better now.” He arranged and tied that makeshift bandage in place. “I’ll keep this here, though… to protect the wound.”

The way he touched Yusuke was nothing but gentle, and it made Yusuke relax, a comfortable, warm feeling taking his chest.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Don’t thank me for that,” Ryuji let out a small sigh. “Man, I sure wish I could use healing spells like Makoto…”

His words and frustrated tone made Yusuke smile.

“If you could, you would probably do nothing but cast healing spells on every fight,” he said.

Ryuji looked at him, slightly furrowing his brow.

“Whaddya mean by that?” he asked.

“Am I wrong?”

An amused chuckle accompanied Yusuke’s words. Ryuji pouted, averting his gaze.

“Probably not…” he admitted in a low voice. “But what’s so wrong about it? I just don’t like seein’ the people I love gettin’ hurt.”

“Am I included in that group?”

Ryuji frowned at him, as if he had said the silliest thing.

“Are you kiddin’?” he said. “‘Course you are… You’re pretty much on the top of the list.”

Those words caught Yusuke by surprise, making him stare at Ryuji, wide-eyed.

“What?” asked Ryuji.

Yusuke opened his mouth, but it took him a moment to find the words.

“I wasn’t expecting an answer like that,” he murmured.

His response made Ryuji look slightly confused.

“Why not?” he asked. “It ain’t like I ever tried to hide how important you are to me.”

“I just never thought…”

He didn’t know how to explain it. Ryuji kept his gaze on him, his confusion now merged with a hint of curiosity.

“You never thought…?” he encouraged Yusuke to proceed.

Yusuke took a deep breath, using those few seconds to organize his thoughts.

“You are a… very kind person,” he said, lowering his eyes. “Not only to me, but everyone. For that reason, I never thought I could be…” He hesitated for a moment. “Special to you.”

He wasn’t sure of how he expected Ryuji to react, but as soon as he heard those words, a small, amused giggle left his lips.

“What are you talkin’ about, you big nerd?” he asked in a soft voice. “You know who’s the first person that comes to my mind whenever I have free time? I mean, the one I want to spend time with, more than anyone else?”

Those words made Yusuke feel as if something was bouncing inside his chest. He risked a glanced at Ryuji before speaking.

“Is it me?”

“Yeah,” Ryuji widened his smile. “I don’t think you know how much I like being with you.”

He placed his hand on Yusuke’s back, rubbing it in a comforting way.

“Really,” he added in a lower voice, “ _special_ doesn’t even come close to how much you mean to me.”

Yusuke knew Ryuji wouldn’t lie about something like that, but it was still difficult to believe it—especially considering how awkward Yusuke could be when it came to social interactions, and how many close friends Ryuji had other than him.

“Do you mean it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” answered Ryuji. “I’m just surprised you didn’t know it already.”

Yusuke lowered his gaze, taking a moment to repeat those words in his mind. He was taken by a feeling of bliss, which slowly spread throughout his chest, and from there, to his entire body.

“Then…” he faced Ryuji again, slightly curious. “How much is it?”

To his surprise, Ryuji seemed taken aback by that question. He looked away from Yusuke, placing a hand on the side of his neck, partially blocking his face from Yusuke’s sight.

“C’mon…” he murmured. “Don’t make me say embarrassin’ stuff like this.”

Something in his reaction only made Yusuke more eager to know.

“But I want to hear it,” he insisted.

Ryuji shook his head.

“I already said enough…” he answered. “You can figure the rest on your own.”

Even more intrigued—and slightly amused—now, Yusuke reached for Ryuji’s arm with his uninjured hand, lowering it.

“Please, can’t you—”

The instant their eyes met, Yusuke’s words seemed to melt on his tongue. How many times had he looked into those brown eyes before? _Countless…_ Yet, at that moment, it was enough to make a mixture of strong emotions overcome him. His gaze went down from Ryuji’s eyes to his lips, and, suddenly, every thought vanished from his mind, giving place to an almost uncontrollable urge to _feel_ them.

He couldn’t tell which of them moved first… It was as if an unseen force had slowly drawn them together until their lips were softly brushing against each other. It lasted but a moment, but it felt like an eternity before that soft touch turned into a proper kiss.

Yusuke had been aware of his feelings for Ryuji for a while, but never thought they would come to be anything but a repressed emotion in his heart. Everything he knew about romance came from books, movies, and other forms of art; and, from the mellow courtship to the unrestrained passion, it always felt like something out of his reach, that could never happen to the two of them.

And yet, the taste of Ryuji’s lips was real, just like the warm feeling of his hand on Yusuke’s face. His feelings, as well as Ryuji’s, were _real—_ and, unlike the romance he saw in movies, all of those things were within his grasp.

They moved away, looking into each other’s eyes. Yusuke leaned in a second time, simply pressing his lips on Ryuji’s for a few seconds, before moving away once again. Neither of them seemed to know what to say, or how to react. Ryuji was the first to break the silence, with a slightly hesitant voice.

“Can I understand this as…?”

He stopped talking, as if searching for the right words. Yusuke reached for his hand, gently holding it.

“I love you,” he said in a low voice.

His words made that hint of uncertainty disappear from Ryuji’s expression, giving place to a sweet smile.

“I love you too.”

Ryuji leaned in Yusuke’s direction, placing a kiss on his cheek. Yusuke responded by kissing his forehead, which resulted in a small—and endearing—giggle from Ryuji. Unable to resist, Yusuke kissed his lips once again. Ryuji smiled, leaning in Yusuke’s direction, getting comfortable close to his chest, with his head on Yusuke’s shoulder. Yusuke placed an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

“We really make a good team, don’t we?” murmured Ryuji.

“We certainly do.”

Saying that, Yusuke closed his eyes, resting his head against Ryuji’s, appreciating that comfortable embrace as they waited for their companions to arrive.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
